(Pete Rose .org)

Between 1865 and 1920, fourteen people were banned from Major League Baseball, mostly for gambling or “fixing” the results of baseball games. Following the Black Sox scandal, when Shoeless Joe Jackson and seven other players were accused of “throwing” the 1919 World Series, the team owners established the MLB’s Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. They appointed federal judge Kenesaw Landis who, in his twenty-four years of office, banned more people than all the subsequent Commissioners combined!

If you played professional baseball during those years, you had to walk carefully and choose your friends wisely!  Landis banned Eugene Paulette in 1921 because of his friendship with known gamblers and Benny Kauff of the New York Giants, for selling stolen cars, despite the fact that he was acquitted by the Court. Landis declared him to be unfit to associate with other baseball players and the ban remained in place! Lee Magee of the Chicago Cubs was found to have “thrown” games for payment and Hal Chase of the New York Giants was finally banned in 1921 following many accusations that not only had he placed bets on his own team, he had associated with known gamblers. Henie Zimmerman of the New York Giants chased the winning run in the 1917 World Series and was accused of throwing the game. McGraw suspended him for an indefinite period and later testified in court that Zimmerman had fixed baseball games.

And the list goes on! Joe Harris, under contract to the Cleveland Indians received a lifetime ban in 1920 after playing with an independent team, but was later reinstated because of his war service. In 1943, shortly before his death, Commissioner Landis also banned William B. Cox and Horace Fogle, owners of the Philadelphia Phillies for betting on their own team’s games.

Even the great ones – Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle found themselves banned in 1983, after they had both retired from baseball. Commissioner Kuhn declared that their presence in Atlantic City casinos, signing autographs and greeting gamblers “was no place for a baseball hero and Hall of Famer.” Both were reinstated by Peter Ueberroth in 1985.

And in 1989, the greatest of them all – Pete Rose – was banned for life by Commissioner Bartlett Giamatti, during his short six months’ reign. Pete hotly denied the accusations of betting on – and against his own team, the Cincinnati Reds and despite his several applications for reinstatement, his lifetime ban is still in effect today. There is no doubt that Pete Rose was guilty as accused– in recent years, he has admitted that the results of the investigations into his activities were factual but reinstatement requires an admission of guilt and an apology to Major League Baseball, something which Pete Rose is not yet prepared to undertake.

Steve Howe of the New York Yankees fell afoul of Commissioner Fay Vincent in 1992 and was banned following numerous suspensions for his use of cocaine and alcohol.  And George Steinbrenner, well-known, larger-than-life owner of the New York Yankees was also banned by Commissioner Vincent in 1990. George had paid a fee of ,000 to a private eye to delve into the background of Dave Winfield, one of his own team players with whom his relationship was less than cordial - in an effort to besmirch his reputation. Bud Selig, Acting Commissioner reinstated George in 1993, who took back ownership from his son before retiring in 2006. And Marge Scott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds was banned in 1996 by Bud Selig for her racist remarks and Nazi sympathies. Reinstated in 1998, she resigned in 1999.

Fast rewind back to 1920 – since that date, the Commissioner’s Office has maintained a list of “permanently ineligible” persons. Most were banned for gambling or “fixing” the outcomes of baseball games and a few for violating their playing contracts or other illegal activities. The only living person on that list today is Pete Rose.

So what does all this mean?  Banished from Major League Baseball – and then reinstated, even if the offence was particularly shocking and committed by those dedicated to America’s most beloved sport, where fair play and sportsmanship is king! What were the ramifications of banishment from MLB?

For starters, banned persons were denied employment with MLB, any of its franchises or affiliated minor leagues as a coach, manager or player and neither could he work in its front office. He was not permitted to act as a sports coach and any business ties he may have had with MLB, or its franchises had to be severed. This meant that if he wanted to attend a baseball game held under the auspices of MLB, he had to purchase a ticket for it – unless he was invited to take part in a specific event. Worst of all, the banished would not qualify for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, whether living or deceased.

But having said all that, the banned person may be reinstated at the discretion of the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, meaning that the “lifetime or permanent” ban is not necessarily carved in stone. However, the ineligibility for induction into the Hall of Fame remains inviolate.